


Of Balconies and Moves

by noonaofdarkness



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Romance, word vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-10 02:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7827607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noonaofdarkness/pseuds/noonaofdarkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a beautiful night. Baekhyun is equally striking. All Chanyeol has to do is make the damn move. (Inspired by the situation in Kevin Barry’s Across the Rooftops).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Balconies and Moves

* * *

It’s nearing four in the morning and his apartment is completely trashed. Most guests have already fled or passed out somewhere, and Kyungsoo is obsessively cleaning up the mess left in the wake of what was probably their most out-of-hand ‘small get-together’ yet.

Instead of helping Kyungsoo, Chanyeol is sitting out on their tiny balcony in a plastic lawn chair that is most definitely on its last leg. It’s a little chillier than he anticipated, but he doesn’t want to go inside and grab a sweater because in the chair beside him sits Byun Baekhyun.

Baekhyun is currently nursing the last of his beer in one hand while holding a lit cigarette in the other. Baekhyun -- with his black skinny jeans and wonderfully dishevelled hair -- has also been the star of every one of Chanyeol’s fantasies for the past month.

“ _This is your chance_ ,” Kyungsoo had mouthed at Chanyeol when he’d excused himself to the balcony and Baekhyun invited himself along. “ _Make a damn move_.”

They met through Jongdae, who shares a class with Baekhyun and brought him along one Saturday night. With his quick wit and outgoing nature, the group took to Baekhyun immediately. Chanyeol was already enamored watching Baekhyun laugh -- he had a great smile -- then, Baekhyun beat Chanyeol at dime game of Street Fighter, taking away a bit of his dignity as well as a piece of his heart.

Multiple campus run-ins, group get togethers, and Street Fighter rematches later, and it's safe to say Chanyeol is smitten.

Of course, his friends caught on immediately and have alternated between giving Chanyeol shit about his crush in private and making the most of every opportunity to force the pair together.

 

 

Despite the slight chill, it’s a beautiful night. The sky is clear, and a few stars have managed to shine through the light pollution. The moonlight is working wonders on Baekhyun’s already handsome features and Chanyeol can’t help himself from stealing multiple glances every few seconds.

The conversation has been minimal thus far. Instead, the silence between them is filled by the swoosh of taxis making their way down the main road and the aggressive meows of what is most likely two cats fucking in the alley.

Ah, at least romance isn’t dead.

Chanyeol doesn’t even have any beer left to pretend to sip, so he sits there dumbly, awkwardly bouncing his knees and humming under his breath.

He so badly wants to talk to Baekhyun, but he’s afraid of saying the wrong thing. The moment is so crucial. Kyungsoo has been giving him shit for weeks about his crush on Baekhyun, and Jongdae has raised his eyebrows so many times at the pair this evening that Chanyeol is pretty sure they are going to get stuck halfway up his forehead.

Everyone is rooting for him, all he has to do is actually gather the courage to make a move. He doesn’t even have to make a pass at Baekhyun, officially asking him out on a date would be more than enough.

He can’t just blurt out “Will you go out with me?” though. He needs a segue.

He should do something to break the tension: tell Baekhyun he looks nice (he always looks nice), ask him about his midterms, break into song, _anything_.

Baekhyun is leaning slightly towards Chanyeol, also humming under his breath, and catching Chanyeol’s stolen glances occasionally before smiling a bit and turning his attention back to the rooftops around them.

If Chanyeol wanted -- and _oh, he does want_ \-- he could reach out and run his fingers along Baekhyun’s shoulder. He could scoot his chair a little closer, and place his lips at the curve of Baekhyun’s neck. He could finally card his fingers through Baekhyun’s hair and figure out if it’s hair gel or a natural disorder that makes Baekhyun’s hair frame his face so perfectly.

Alas, Chanyeol is coward without an ounce of suaveness in his six-foot-one body.

 

He’s going to do this, he opens his mouth to speak, getting as far as “Ni-” before he changes his mind at the last second, closing his throat so quickly that he chokes on his own spit and launches himself into a mini coughing fit. Charming.

“What was that?” Baekhyun looks up, a glimmer of hope (and probably worry) in his eyes.

“Nice party, right?” Chanyeol mumbles once he’s sufficiently cleared his throat.

“Mmm,” Baekhyun looks away, obviously disappointed.

 

 

Baekhyun, who has now finished his cigarette and set down his beer, begins to play with his own hands, eyes trained on the ground.

While the air between them is silent (save the cats -- who are getting more action than Chanyeol ever will if he keeps this up -- down below). Chanyeol’s mind is running in full caps lock mode from everything about how nice Baekhyun's broad shoulders are to how his own butt is starting to go numb, and most importantly about how he should _make the damn move before Baekhyun falls asleep because he's providing him about as much entertainment as a damn nursing home knitting class._

(Scratch that, knitting class would probably be more exciting than this because Baekhyun would actually have something to do besides sit there and exhale heavily through his pouty lips every thirty seconds.)

In spite of his screaming thoughts, Chanyeol doesn’t miss the way that Baekhyun keeps throwing him shy sideways glances. Nor the way he’s shifted his posture in Chanyeol’s general direction. Should Chanyeol believe what Kyungsoo said about Baekhyun being interested?

“This is painful,” Baekhyun says suddenly, breaking Chanyeol’s inner monologue and shooting him a look he can’t quite decipher.

“What is?” Chanyeol asks worriedly, “Do you have a headache?”

“No,” Baekhyun shakes his head. It seems like he was about to elaborate, but instead he rises from his chair.

Oh crap, he’s going to leave now and Chanyeol will have once again failed to confess. (Which also means Kyungsoo will put him on laundry duty for the next month. He _really_ hates laundry duty.)

Instead of leaving though, Baekhyun moves closer to Chanyeol.

“Did you get any pictures of Jongdae dancing on the coffee table earlier? I saw you had your phone out.”

“Of course,” Chanyeol boasts, not really sure where this is going. However, he’s always willing to play a hand in embarrassing Jongdae.

“Can you show them to me?” Baekhyun asks innocently, moving a little closer.

Chanyeol digs his phone out of his pocket and opens his camera roll. He’s about to hand the device to Baekhyun, but instead Baekhyun places his hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder and hovers above him so that he can see the screen.

Chanyeol hopes Baekhyun thinks it’s the slight breeze that causes him to shiver involuntarily.

He’s mindlessly scrolling through the pictures, not really paying attention because Baekhyun smells really fucking nice and his fingers have moved over to tickle the base of Chanyeol’s neck. When Baekhyun lets out a breathy chuckle, Chanyeol shivers once again as his warm breath hits the side of his face and he realizes just how close Baekhyun is.

Then it hits him.

“Wait!” Chanyeol gasps, startling Baekhyun backwards, his fingers retreating from Chanyeol’s nape. “Is this… is this your… your _move_?”

Baekhyun looks around for a moment before his eyes narrow at Chanyeol.

“My ' _move_?'” Baekhyun echoes incredulously.

“You know, your come-on, your pass.”

Baekhyun gives a casual shrug, “I guess? Yeah.”

Chanyeol begins to stutter out incoherent syllables, still slightly intoxicated by Baekhyun’s scent. He was so preoccupied with making his own move that he didn’t even think for a moment that Baekhyun might have been trying to do the same thing. He’s been in a panic here, and Baekhyun can casually make a move like it’s nothing. Chanyeol is too caught up in his own confusion to notice the way Baekhyun backs away even more.

Chanyeol begins to nod to himself, blinking furiously, “So you’re making a move on me…”

“Do you… not want me to make a move?” Baekhyun asks hesitantly. Chanyeol sees the brief look of confusion that flashes across his face.

“What?”

“I thought I was reading things right, I mean, you keep looking at me and Jongdae keeps winking whenever we sit next to each other, and you’ve been so adorably nervous around me for weeks....” Baekhyun waves his hands a bit, still not looking at Chanyeol, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Chanyeol instantly recognizes the look of confused dejection that is marring Baekhyun’s features and _oh no_ , he definitely doesn’t want to see that look on Baekhyun’s face. That’s not what he means at all.

“I’m not uncomfortable!” He says a bit too loudly, and with a strain to his voice that would indicate the exact opposite sentiment. “I’m just really not good at these things. No, no, you should _definitely_ still make the move.”

“What?”

“You’re not reading it wrong. I was just caught off guard. Ignore my minor panic attack,” Chanyeol pleads, “I would _really_ like for you to continue.”

“You sure?”

“One hundred percent. Go for it, I’m ready. Ready for the move. That you’re going to make. Right now. Yes.” Chanyeol sits back obediently in his seat.

Baekhyun’s frown turns into a smirk as he leans back down towards Chanyeol, allowing his nose to barely brush along Chanyeol’s cheek.

“You should look at me then.”

Chanyeol complies so quickly, he nearly takes Baekhyun out.

“Now, you’re really, _really_ , sure…?” Baekhyun whispers playfully, eyes semi unfocused as his gaze moves to Chanyeol’s lips.

Chanyeol garbles out something unintelligible, but affirmative nonetheless. Baekhyun is only centimeters away, and he’s leaning in. Chanyeol’s eyes close automatically.

Baekhyun is going to kiss him on his own balcony to the soundtrack of cats copulating and what is probably Jongin hurling up his guts in the bathroom.

Those things aside, this will be the moment of the semester. No, of the entire year. There will be fireworks and explosions of happiness and Kyungsoo will finally get off his ass, and he’ll have someone’s hand to hold under the table and take out to dinner and fool around with on the couch… it’s going to be perfect.

All these scenarios flash through his mind in soft focus with little sparkles at the edges and his lips curl in a small smile. It’s then that he realizes that Baekhyun still hasn’t closed the final distance yet and he’s definitely been daydreaming for more than ten seconds.

His eyes shoot open.

It takes a moment, but he eventually focuses on Baekhyun -- whose eyes are lit up in mirth, a smirk on his lips -- and Chanyeol is so confused.

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun begins, pulling back a little, “I think all this talking about it killed the mood.”

No. No. _Goddammit, Baekhyun_. Chanyeol thinks.

Baekhyun chuckles. Perhaps he thought that last bit out loud.

No, Chanyeol will not stand for this.

With a sudden wave of confidence, he lifts his hand to cup the back of Baekhyun’s head. He watches as Baekhyun’s eyes flare with excitement before Chanyeol pulls him in.

Baekhyun is smiling when their lips touch, but it makes them no less plush.

It’s a tactless kiss. So tactless that Chanyeol should really be ashamed as he eagerly moves to deepen the kiss the second Baekhyun begins to reciprocate. But this is _Baekhyun_. The man whose smile knocks him on his ass in the good way, with thighs crafted by Jesus and a charisma that -- though his jokes are generally made at Chanyeol’s expense -- brightens the mood of everyone around him.

Chanyeol is more than a little over eager when he runs his tongue along the seam of Baekhyun’s lips. They taste like a mix of beer and the cigarette he finished a few minutes ago. Chanyeol should totally be grossed out, but somehow he isn’t. He just wants more.

It’s completely sloppy, the way he’s going about this whole kissing thing. Weeks of frustration and the excitement that maybe Baekhyun returns even a fraction of the feelings he harbors for the man have finally found an outlet. Baekhyun doesn’t seem to mind though as he runs his fingers up and down Chanyeol’s neck. He’s still awkwardly leaning down to meet Chanyeol’s lips, precariously balancing himself with his other hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

It’s perfect, Chanyeol thinks. He could do this forever.

But then, Baekhyun’s hand withdrawals from his neck to lightly push at Chanyeol’s chest, effectively separating their mouths.

Chanyeol begins to panic. Perhaps he had been too eager, and now he’s put Baekhyun off to kissing him for the rest of eternity.

Baekhyun raises a hand to wipe off his mouth, and _oh god_ , Chanyeol practically slobbered on him. But then Baekhyun smiles, his eyes forming crescents and he lets out the cutest giggle Chanyeol has ever heard.

“I like you, Chanyeol.” He says, and Chanyeol swears he can hear the smile in his voice.

“Kyungsoo said that,” Chanyeol blurts out, “I should have believed him.”

“He told you?”

Chanyeol nods.

“And you didn’t believe him?”

Chanyeol looks up a bit guiltily. “Kyungsoo has a sadistic streak in him. He’s the kind of guy that didn’t warn Jongin there’s a toy inside of a Kinder Egg just to watch him choke on it. You can’t blame me for thinking he might have told me you liked me because he wanted to watch me make a fool of myself. Not that I don’t do enough of that on my own… but...”

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun clicks his tongue, boldly moving to seat himself in Chanyeol’s lap, causing Chanyeol to emit a very undignified grunt. “I don’t have classes anywhere near your department, yet I keep running into you there; I asked Jongdae for your number the day after we met; I have a midterm that I should be studying for right now but instead I came to your house party; My beer has been flat for the past hour but I’ve been trying to make it last so that I could spend more time with you and maybe get the chance to kiss you before the sun rose. Obviously, I like you quite a bit.”

Chanyeol doesn’t know what to say to that, but he’s pretty sure the grin that spreads across his face is a sufficient enough response.

Baekhyun seems satisfied too, and once again closes the distance between them.

 

The sun is just starting to peek over the rooftops when they finally break apart for air and Baekhyun takes Chanyeol’s hand to lead them back inside.

They’re both yawning as they cross the threshold into the living room. Chanyeol is a second away from offering to let Baekhyun sleep over when they spot Kyungsoo -- who is bent over on the floor, furiously scrubbing away a stain in the carpet next to where Sehun is passed out.

Kyungsoo looks up a few moments later to see the pair hand-in-hand and raises his brows skeptically.

“So you finally made a move?” He asks Chanyeol.

“Yeah,” Baekhyun laughs, smiling up at Chanyeol and squeezing his hand, “he finally did.”

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> [insert approxiamtely 2000 poop emojis]
> 
> Looking back, I think i actually was slightly intoxicated when I wrote this.


End file.
